Introduction

About This OER Textbook

In today's world, it's difficult or even nearly impossible to function without some level of communication literacy. That term, communication literacy, refers to the ability of an individual to not only convey their ideas, information, and messages to others, but also to be able to interpret and understand the ideas, information, and messages that they receive. The processes involved in communicating, or transferring messages and ideas between people, are far more intricate than many people recognize. In today's world, these processes include a variety of forms and styles, such as interpersonal, digital, public, media, intercultural, transnational, gendered, racial, group, and organizational communication, to name a few. We refer to people who have the ability to communicate effectively in one or more of these modes as having communication competency, which requires a high level of "communication literacy" and knowledge of how communication actually works.

In this OER textbook, you will be exposed to a variety of communication processes and modes, grouped into the fields of study we investigate in academe. We use this approach in the broad field of Communication Studies because it is a means of managing the complexity and expanse of communication. This is by no means a new process. Communication Studies is, in fact, one of the oldest fields of study, reaching back thousands of years. At the base of our field is the study of Rhetoric, most simply defined as the art of speech and persuasion. The earliest scholars associated with this field are the Sophists and other ancient Greeks such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle. In fact, in courses such as Public Speaking, one of the most commonly taught communications courses, Aristotle’s teachings about rhetoric are still used as one of the most significant tools. The field of Communication Studies is built around three thousand years of rhetorical tradition. This tradition is concerned with how people understand the nature, scope and function of life by creating labels, arguments, and, in other words, using rhetoric to construct social realities. The theory, practice, and critique of rhetoric both illustrates and can be used to challenge people's views about government, citizenship, good and evil, what it means to be human. Rhetoric, and therefore communication also influences how philosophy, politics, and history are written, and how we label, rank, and value things in society.

Communication data can reveal the way that people understand the construction of reality. Beginning with Aristotle and rhetoric, communication scholarship has looked at how the data reveal deeper understandings and insights into the human experience. While rhetorical studies remain at the core of the field, the way that we study communication has changed a great deal during that three thousand year history, as new ideas and arguments have been incorporated into the field. Politics, philosophy, religion, technology, and scientific reasoning have all impacted the field over the millennia. Alternative ways of understanding communication have led to different perspectives or paradigms of research. Changes in the means of communicating, particularly due to technological advances, have also impacted the field. These have led to the creation of multiple, significant sub-fields such as Popular Culture Studies and Communication Technology Studies. Communication Studies scholars are collectors of communication data, built from determining how messages and communication behaviors reflect deeper understandings about a particular culture, group, community, or interpersonal context. Communication data are observable; the researcher can identify, describe, and critique the communication data and knowledge he or she finds at a research site. These data can be any observable communication artifacts of a culture, including clothing styles, utterances, newspapers, foods, rituals, performances, games, fights, or ideas or concepts that are revealed to the researcher. The job of the communication scholar is to observe these data, and illustrate how the data are all interconnected and reflect the deeper meaning of the communication act and context.

Careers in Communication

• Public Affairs
• Advocacy
• Public Relations
• Tourism
• Journalism
• Entertainment Media
• New Media
• Marketing and Market Research
• Speech Writing
• Communications Directors
• Advertising

Why we Study Communication

In recent years, as the field has developed and expanded, the focus has shifted from general studies of communication that can be applied to all people to various forms of human communication in culturally diverse contexts. The current field works in two primary ways: 1) it provides insight and understanding into the processes of human communication in these multiple contexts and settings, as well as 2) providing necessary skills in applying about communication processes to a variety of applied academic fields and everyday life situations.

As you can see, Communication Studies is a large field with a number of possible applications. We study communication because it is part of our everyday lives, and because we need to understand both how and why communication processes function the way they do. As you begin reading this OER textbook, consider all of the ways that studying communication can have an impact on your life. Academic programs, like the one at Olympic College, help us understand and evaluate how people negotiate their identities and voices in relationships and society. The department provides a foundation for understanding how rhetoric, persuasion, and messages shape the world around us. Ultimately, studies in communication and culture helps students succeed in an increasingly multicultural, mediated and ever-changing world. In order to do this successfully, the Olympic College Communication Studies program focuses on two primary areas of communication: Public or Strategic Communication and Relational Communication. This OER textbook is designed to introduce both the theoretical ideas that ground both of these areas, and to provide a survey of how communication theory is applied in multiple contextual settings.

In this OER textbook, we will explore different approaches to communication studies, from the study of speech communication, to communication as the basis of relationships, to media and digital forms of communication. We will explore how people, including each of you, construct identities using communication processes. We will also take a look at the impact of culture on communication styles while simultaneously investigating how cultures are literally made of communication practices. We will explore how each of you can use your voices and communication abilities to reach out to a variety of audiences, market yourself to potential employers and colleagues, interact with your friends and relatives, and voice your concerns and potentially change the wrongs you perceive in the world.

So welcome to this introductory OER textbook into the varied fields of Communication Studies.

Communication Courses and Academic Fields

• Rhetorical Criticism
• Interpersonal Communication
• Propaganda Studies
• Tourism Studies
• Entertainment Studies
• Media Studies
• Digital Studies
• Popular Culture Studies
• Intercultural Communication
• Gender and Sexual Communication
• Organizational Communication
• Management Communication
• Group Communication
• Social Interaction Studies
• Advertising
• Performance Studies